Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1887-02-11
OUR NAVAL HEROES.
BENJAMIN H. PoRrER.
Special Correspondent -Hoszsuae REVIEW

neF VI idihe, VIC niiu tItde ol DenJamln
H. Potter, the young hero of Roanoke.
AT the age of seventeen he wore the
epaulets of an Ensign, and received for
his gallant deeds the applause and adj
miration Of all. Commodore Marston.
of the Roanoke, was the first to com
pliment our young hero upon his no
bic daring during the action The CON-
pliment was in the form of a letter, and
bore the signatures of every officer of
the ship. Soon after he was appointed
Acting Master, and took command Of
the gun-boat Ellis. It would be ex-
ceedingly difficult, to find another in
stance upon record, SO remarkable as
this. Here we find task difficult for
even more mature brain and stronger
frame, imposed upon one so young.
In Nov. 1862 he was ordered to re-.
port to Admiral Du Pont at Port Roy
al, here he was detained for some time
upon the blockade ship Caciaguida. In
July 1863 he was selected to explore
Charleston barber. That one SO imma-
ture in years should be selected for a
duty so perilous, and requiring the en-
ergies of daring and judgment, is the
grandest compliment that could be paid
to his reputation. It is said that du-
ring this fearful and hazardous time he
lost one pound of flesh daily. Of his
exploits while in performance of this
duty we will only say, that they are de-
serving of more than mere mention,
and that surely the oil sustaining arms
of merciful Providence were above,
beneath and around him as he accom-
plished feat after feat, Of astonishing
bravery But at last we find him
with companion, Lieut.. Williams,
languishing in felons cell at Columbia
S. c. where for fourteen months they
endured prison woes. They were or
dcred in irons by the Confederate gov
ernment and not until March 1864,
were they stricken from them, with
the news that thay were to be ex
changed. After his release he returned
home, but not the bouyant happy youth
of few months before Lines Of care
were depicted upon his handsome face
and his whole appearance was that Of s
man advanced IN years. At twenty
one he received the title and rank O
Lieutenant.
| The first battle of Fort Fisher HI
passed successfully and we quote here
a passage from a letter written by hin
to young christian friend just befor'
! the second battle. 81 can not feel tina
l am Christian, although know tina
Christ died to save me. But If Coz
will keep me I viii. try and becom
one. l know that can succeed if
try, for our Heavenly Father has prom
ised to listen to all who ask Him wit
their whole hearts. And now I be
Of you to pray for me, ask God to. Civ
me new heart, and to teach me t.
pray. | am going ashore to lead m.
men to the charge on Fort Fisher, an'
if God will bring me out of the fight il
safety, will try and obtain p, ten day
furlough, and then my friend I will Sc
you". What noble vein of characte
this letter shows! Although in the eye
of his friends he was an humble, con
sistent, Christian; yet he could not b
impressed with that belief, and wa
ever seeking to perpetuate holiness II
heart and mind. As Lieut.. Porter lef
the ship bearing the flag he said to Ad
miral Porter, "Admiral this shall bt
the first flag on the fort, he was Ii ful
uniform which it was his pride to wear
When the signal was given to charge
he sprang to the front, flag in Land, a
the palisades he fell, shot through the
breast, his last words were, ''carry me
down to the beach," His friend Lieut.
Gushing fell almost at the same time
Captain Breese in hisletter to the Ad
miral says, "He fell among the fore
most at the front as he had lived the
embodiment of United States Naval
officer" Of Lieut.. Potter he says,
conspicuous by his figure and uniform
as we'll as galantry he claimed the right
to lead the headmost column with the
Malvern men. Two more noble spirits
the world never saw. Young, talented
and handsome, bravest Of the brave.
Admiral Porter says of Lieut.. Porter,
s'He was brave to fault, he was my
beau ideal of an officer" His body
was forwarded in metallic case, to his
friends in New York. Commodore
Paulding desired public funeral and
General Burnside expressed wish thai
the land troops might join in the pro
cession, but the grief of his friends wal
SO great, they would not permit public
display, and he was quietly inferred by
the side of his brother and sister, a
the place of his birth. Thus closes The
caleer of one of the nations creates
heroes, whose name should be handed
down to posterity and revered as tha
of, aye, even that ofthe immortal Wash
ington. But twenty-one years of age
yet had distinguished himself as but few